The United States Central Command announced on Sunday that it conducted retaliatory strikes against Iran. This action followed Iranian attacks on multiple Gulf states and vessels in the Strait of Hormuz earlier that day. According to a statement from Central Command, the strikes began at 5 p.m. ET and were aimed at degrading Iran's capacity to target civilian shipping in the region. The Commander in Chief directed these strikes to hold Iranian forces accountable.
The escalation came after Iran expanded its attacks across the Gulf, targeting countries including Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan. This followed a U.S. strike on Iranian targets in response to an Iranian missile attack on a Cyprus-flagged merchant vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday night.
A U.S. official indicated that a larger wave of attacks was anticipated following the initial strikes, which continued for over three hours. Reports indicated that a security guard was killed when a projectile struck a water pumping station in southwest Iran. Capt. Tim Hawkins of CENTCOM stated that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had fired at commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz shortly after the announcement of U.S. strikes.
CENTCOM later updated that it is prepared to ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, despite what it described as Iran's unwarranted aggression. The strikes targeted Iranian military air-defense systems, coastal radar sites, missile and drone capabilities, and small boats using various U.S. military assets.
Conflicting statements emerged regarding the status of the Strait of Hormuz, with Iranian leaders claiming it was closed. CENTCOM refuted this, asserting that the Strait remains an international waterway and that U.S. forces are positioned to maintain this status. Oil prices increased in response to the attacks. Additionally, CENTCOM denied claims from Iranian state media that three American soldiers were killed in the strikes on Kuwait. President Donald Trump has not yet commented on the situation.